I'll always prefer RE-wards to A-wards and here's why:
You've
met one or seen one. There are just some people who don't feel
validated if they're not receiving accolades (not only in education,
either). I am in NO WAY saying that they aren't good teachers. There's a
reason teachers receive awards. They typically ARE amazing and doing a
fabulous job that deserves recognition. I'm also not saying that
everyone who receives an award is hungry for attention or awards.
However, I receive many things that I'll call a RE-ward.
I'm
not writing this for someone to think I'm just wonderful because I make
mistakes all the time. That's part of being an adult and an educator.
There's no way a person can be in education and not make mistakes. I
work with and have worked with some seriously amazing people. The
examples I'm using here I'm sure many of them and other educators out
there can relate to. I'm using these examples because they are my
examples and the ones I know best. Based on my examples, I'll explain
why I just love getting what I call a RE-ward.
I know
what you're thinking. "Wow! I'm so surprised! No award? You're such a
good teacher. You build such cool relationships with kids. They seem to
like you and your classes so much!" True, true. ;) And that, is what I
call a RE-ward.
When I started this school year, like I
do every year, I asked kids why they are taking the classes that I
teach. For a number of them, it's because they need one more science
credit. For another number of them, it's because they had room in their
schedule and it sounded interesting. This year, there were a number of
them whose only reason was, "because you teach it." Here's the thing.
Most of those kids who said that don't need another science credit. They
don't need any additional credit. They know that my door is always open
and they are welcome to sit in my room on an open period. But, they
chose to sit in my classroom, learn something and do work simply because
that's where I am. I call that a RE-ward.
I added a
new twist to my classes this year. It's actually a reward system for
students. They helped decide on the behaviors that would received
rewards and consequences. They also decided on the prizes available at
the two checkpoints during the year. Wondering what my point to all of
that is, yet? We started discussing this on Thursday. By Saturday, I'd
had SEVERAL people mention to me that they'd heard about it. I've even
heard kids correcting each other OUTSIDE of my classroom based on what
the appropriate behavior is INSIDE my classroom. I call that a RE-ward.
Kids
know who they can trust. They know who they can turn to. They know who
will genuinely care about them. They also know who will call them out
when they need it. I've heard kids say things like, "Don't lie to Mrs.
Lumley. She always knows." I've also had kids tell me that someone else
told them I was a good person to talk to. I truly love it when a student
asks me for advice, to be a reference for a job, or even for a letter
of recommendation. That means that this person thinks highly enough of
me to ask me for something very important and personal. I call that a
RE-ward.
Here's the thing. Students come and go.
Curriculum comes and goes. Mandates, programs, standards, and acronyms
are forever coming and going. Awards come and go. School years come and
go. Summers come and go. Jobs even come and go. Sometimes, even those
relationships built will come and go because life is funny that way. The
one thing that won't come and go is that feeling of accomplishment when
a student "gets it". That little bit of humbling when someone takes a
class because it's your class also won't go. The feeling of PRIDE
watching students master things that they find scary will never, ever
go. That, in a nutshell is what I call a RE-ward.
According to Dictionary.com:
Award: a prize or other mark of recognition given in honor of an achievement.
Reward: something given or offered in return for a service or accomplishment.
Based
on these definitions, I feel a RE-ward will always be greater than an
A-ward. Here's why. An award is recognition. A reward is given or
offered. An award doesn't give a teacher a feeling of pride or
accomplishment like a RE-ward does. An accomplishment is what comes when
something has been successfully achieved. Watching my students be
successful in their achievements both inside and outside my classroom
will always be my RE-ward.
***A little addendum. I WAS
honored several years ago by a student who received a prestigious award
as her teacher of recognition. That was amazing. Again, I see that as a
RE-ward.
